I am you, and you are me, who are we then?
by N.kirby
Summary: Prior and after events of "Mirror, Oh Mirror on the Wall", Rubicante reflects on what happened on Halloween and when they were revived, as the early November days arrive. (By the request of Insertcreativepennamehereplz)


**((Hey there! I have to apologize to ****_Insertcreativepennamehereplz_**** for not responding for a while! I had been busy drawing and working on custom mods for PPVS2, plus I'm going to a birthday party tomorrow… So I didn't have any time to contact you from the chat you linked or anywhere else, and I'm really sorry about it!**

**I know that you gave the ideas of a sprequel or a "what if" scenario… But I instead showed a "what exactly happened" to the Four Seasons. And an afterward focusing on the rarely spoken Juro, their new boss, and how the Archfiends got revived. And I greatly appreciate your review and critiques! Hopefully I get more from you. u.u;))**

* * *

_I am you, and you are me, who are we then?…_

Rain poured down from the sky, they could hear it drizzling. "This castle we are held in…" The blonde girl with long flowing hair sighed. "Will our bodies find it? Or shall we continue to be unnoticed by all?"

"Falliccia, that girl in the red-violet armor promised that we would be found, just like she herself was." They never did get her name though. She was dressed like a clown, tear down its white face along with a red nose.

But it was only a mask, under the wonderful harlequin outfit was a woman with evil eyes, much like them. A dark reddish-brown hair, giving them a ball to watch their originals every move. It was a blessing almost.

She promised to move them to a place, a place where only their originals could find them. The Archfiends, the second and superior Lord of the Elements.

They were aware of the first Fiends, but they stood poorly in comparison to how infamous the Archfiends were. Working for Golbez, actually managing to do their job, brought back not only twice… But three times.

A devil brought them back this time toward a different world, one where they did not have to worry about enemies too much. The first Elemental Fiends never had that, but they were still better off than these four with their sphere.

Mirrors, known as the Four Lords of the Seasons. Only having conversations to themselves, never seeing the outside world since all were forgotten after their debut.

Summecante, Falliccia, Whinazzo, and Sprimiglione. It felt like either a really long period of time flowed, on the other end perhaps there was no wait at all. It could just be paranoia. But from how they watched the Archfiends, it seemed otherwise.

_"Oh, what a nice girl he has by his side~_

_And someone as pleasant as myself has nothing~? _

_One such as herself deserves to be placed so high~_

_Given the best. But she wants to be my other self's servant~?" _

Sprimiglione stroked the doll in his hand. Gently placing a flower-crown on the plush's head. Kissing it and tenderly touching the hair.

_"The actual thing would be so wonderful~ _

_Looking like a goddess from the heavens~! _

_Yet she came from Hell~! _

_A fallen angel, waiting to be scooped up and-"_

"Enough out of you! It's sickening!" Summecante glared at Sprimiglione, who just hid the doll inside the tree branches growing out of his back. "I've seen enough on that ball to know, she is nothing but pathetic and emotionless!

"Doing whatever her 'master' pleases! Some zombie with the body of a CHILD is nothing special! If anything, it's messed up to see her in a relationship with your counterpart!"

_"You are just too much a brute~ _

_Unlike myself~! _

_Despite my undead being, I am able to be filled with life and sing to my decayed heart's content~!"_

Whinazzo was too busy chewing on pig's feet to notice anything, only Falliccia broke the argument. "Summe… W-what do we do if you know, our counterparts do show up? Because that girl said we could only exit the mirror-prison if they walk in, and... They won't give up their place and bodies!" This was true, Sprimiglione and Summecante stopped bickering.

He tried to think, but Falliccia was right. It would be impossible to convince the Archfiends nearly to give themselves up for a reflection. Summecante slammed his fist on the desk, shaking the sphere.

And there they were. "Rubicante?! With…" He gasped, seeing the sight of everyone. "There won't be time to talk, we'll just ambush them! Seeing an opposite of themselves if off-putting enough!" Whinazzo got up with a start, preparing himself only now for anything.

"Whoever that woman we found was…" Whinazzo spat out his food, done with it. "We won't fail her! This is our few chances!" He growled and took off in haste.

All around only the footsteps could be heard, the Seasons left. Leaving Falliccia to wonder. "Will this even work? Or will we find that existing is futile?" She stared into the mirror's outside, watching, mumbling.

_"I am you, and you are me, who are we then?…"_

* * *

Rubicante awoke. Sweat dripping from the side of his face. "Third nightmare this dusk… Am I to be traumatized?" He sighed. "I had seen people die, burn while moving, the cruelty of people, mutations by Lugae… But only those mirrors affected me?"

He shook his head violently, getting up from his bed of flames and ash. "No. It was just imagination. It had to be, reflections do not simply come to life. Right?" Slowly opening the stone-door, he peered into the hall.

Everyone was asleep. Barbariccia laying down in soft decorated pillows that floated in mid-air. Cagnazzo had fallen asleep in his small pool of an ocean, filled with fellow aquatic life. Scarmiglione… Well, naturally he was inside a deep tomb.

Their master however, a scarlet bedding despite his age. It was a bit tattered, and not as comfortable as what Barbariccia had, but must have been lovely when the devil first got it. Curtains around it gave him plenty of privacy as well.

The devil was immature, maybe a bit hasty. But good-hearted deep down, he claimed to leave his own master after putting up with so much abuse. The Archfiends couldn't help but pity him, and were requested to join to take down this Hell King.

It may not be the same as working with Golbez, but both were certainly better than that horrible Zemus for controlling him and giving outright cruel death penalties to those who either crossed or failed the powerful lunarian.

Their new master was relatable in some areas, as was Juro. Who had not the best treatment before Scarmiglione lifted the small, undead, and barely feeling girl off her feet and away from Hell and serving a highly strict master who always pointed out her flaws harshly.

Milon was not even the type to help someone. But seeing a fellow zombie being called 'weak', 'pathetic', 'worthless'... All things he had been called by Zemus and even the fellow fiends. Rubicante felt bad for it, he even took part in it.

Rubi himself was even scolded by Golbez's 'master' heavily for healing his foes, before being brutally sent back to the depths. And… Everything changed after that.

Now that he thought about it, Juro was not in her coffin that was near Milon's tomb...

She was not far though, just sitting down near the entrance of the hideaway. "Ah, you?" Juro sighed, holding her stomach while holding a deer's leg. "Master asked strange things, I couldn't sleep with them in my head... He didn't explain why."

"Ah, so it wasn't my imagination..." Rubicante shuddered. "We found something unusual, they were reflections, of ourselves." Juro felt her cloudy eyes widen at that revelation. "Scarmiglione is just worried that you would ever confuse him for his counterpart. And I agree with him."

Out of curiosity, Juro requested the full story. Rubicante hesitated, not wanting to remember too much. But the details were vivid, and he retold them in order.

That abandoned castle covered in vines, the colorful faces of clowns, the paintings of the four seasons, the mirrors... The mirrors, they were the biggest one. That feeling of being drowned by his reflection made Rubicante choke, as if water was still in his lungs although he had healed himself entirely.

"After the use of Geryon… The mirror of Barbariccia came to me one last time, requesting that I take her instead of the real one." He looked down, reaching slowly for a sleeping potion inside a bag. "I could never do that, but at the same time...

"I felt horrible, because she was fond of me and how I was the few to 'defend' her. And what do I do in return? Surround the place in flames. If they were not so hostile, I would hope there was a way we could live together and consider it more."

Juro felt her eyes turn back to their usual drooping selves again. There was almost no response to it, other than putting down the raw deer-leg. Rubicante admitted to something that was bothering him, she felt as if she should do the same. One that only her and Milon knew.

Drowned King Cagnazzo had presumably figured it out already, but Rubicante and Barbariccia hadn't. Neither had their master known about how unusual Juro had looked and acted. She opened her mouth to speak, but slowly closed it. "Hm? Is there something you wanted to say Juro?"

"No." She lied, talking was not her strong point in the slightest.

The air was cold, even Rubicante's warm body could not withstand what came from outdoors, turning around to leave. "If you feel the need to mention anything... Do it now, the medicine is kicking in already." With drowsiness in his eyes, he made his way back to the bed of flames.

Something was muttered out of Juro, but he could not hear it. "I am pr…" Then the words trailed off. Only the sound of harsh winds from nature were heard…

Making him sleepier, and sleepier…

One last look into the mirror, he could see Summecante, but he was not really there. Rubi spoke to this reflection.

_"I am you, and you are me, who are we then?…"_

* * *

**((I once again apologize… Part of me wanted to add more, but writer's block, bleh~))**


End file.
